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Out the Door
Follow a girl through her day in a busy city as she travels to school and back again in this inviting book that teaches directional concepts like over, under, and through.
Out the door,
down the stoop,
past the neighbors,
along the block ...
Through tree-lined streets, onto a crowded subway car, into the classroom with friends, and finally, retracing her steps back home again. There's so much to see in Christy Hale's warm, richly textured collage artwork and simple, evocative text set in a busy Brooklyn cityscape.
Out the Door is the perfect back-to-school book for young kids learning to find their way around a city. Parents and teachers can use this read-aloud to familiarize kids with a host of directional words to describe their first school days.
Out the door,
down the stoop,
past the neighbors,
along the block ...
Through tree-lined streets, onto a crowded subway car, into the classroom with friends, and finally, retracing her steps back home again. There's so much to see in Christy Hale's warm, richly textured collage artwork and simple, evocative text set in a busy Brooklyn cityscape.
Out the Door is the perfect back-to-school book for young kids learning to find their way around a city. Parents and teachers can use this read-aloud to familiarize kids with a host of directional words to describe their first school days.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published October 6, 2020
1 person is currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Christy Hale
38 books12 followersHi, I’m Christy!
When I was little, I knew I shouldn’t make marks in books, so instead, I drew on tiny pieces of paper and tucked my "illustrations" alongside the words. At age ten, I decided to become a writer and illustrator. Back then, my best friend and I acted out the books we loved. Our favorite was Harriet the Spy. Dressed in disguises, we roamed the neighborhood investigating and jotting down our observations in our secret notebooks, just like Harriet. Back at spy headquarters we shared our discoveries with each other. Soon we began writing and illustrating our own stories every day after school.
I have created books as long as I can remember. I studied calligraphy, bookbinding, letterpress and all other means of printing, typography, design, and illustration.
After earning a B.A. in Fine Arts and a Masters in Teaching at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, I worked as an art educator for several years. Then I decided to pursue my childhood dream by relocating to Brooklyn, New York to study design and illustration at Pratt Institute.
I taught at the New York Center for Book Arts and as an adjunct professor in the Communication Design department at Pratt Institute while working in children’s book publishing as a designer and art director. During this period, I also began illustrating and have since worked on over 30 books—writing some of those too.
After many years in New York, I moved to Northern California where I developed and taught an online course in Writing for Picture Books through the illustration department at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I continue to work as a writer, illustrator, designer, art director, and as an educator—offering programs at museums, schools, and libraries.
When I was little, I knew I shouldn’t make marks in books, so instead, I drew on tiny pieces of paper and tucked my "illustrations" alongside the words. At age ten, I decided to become a writer and illustrator. Back then, my best friend and I acted out the books we loved. Our favorite was Harriet the Spy. Dressed in disguises, we roamed the neighborhood investigating and jotting down our observations in our secret notebooks, just like Harriet. Back at spy headquarters we shared our discoveries with each other. Soon we began writing and illustrating our own stories every day after school.
I have created books as long as I can remember. I studied calligraphy, bookbinding, letterpress and all other means of printing, typography, design, and illustration.
After earning a B.A. in Fine Arts and a Masters in Teaching at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, I worked as an art educator for several years. Then I decided to pursue my childhood dream by relocating to Brooklyn, New York to study design and illustration at Pratt Institute.
I taught at the New York Center for Book Arts and as an adjunct professor in the Communication Design department at Pratt Institute while working in children’s book publishing as a designer and art director. During this period, I also began illustrating and have since worked on over 30 books—writing some of those too.
After many years in New York, I moved to Northern California where I developed and taught an online course in Writing for Picture Books through the illustration department at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I continue to work as a writer, illustrator, designer, art director, and as an educator—offering programs at museums, schools, and libraries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 5, 2021
This is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For an explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf.
So many prepositions! I like that I can sort of figure out how Hale made the illustrations, since the note on the art only says collage. Anyway, it's a good way to go through all the prepositions and through the process of going to and coming home from school. The art is colorful with one particularly neat tree shadow and there's a cat.
Library copy
So many prepositions! I like that I can sort of figure out how Hale made the illustrations, since the note on the art only says collage. Anyway, it's a good way to go through all the prepositions and through the process of going to and coming home from school. The art is colorful with one particularly neat tree shadow and there's a cat.
Library copy
November 28, 2020
One long series of prepositional phrases describes a young girl's journey through the city to school and then back home again. There isn't much of a story here but an interesting way to illustrate directionality and to introduce prepositions.
June 13, 2023
The children really liked this book, it has great illustrations and is a cute story about a child’s day traveling through the city.
December 27, 2020
An outstanding introduction to prepositions.
On the first day of school, a young girl is escorted to school by her father. They retrace their steps home at the end of school day - in one two-page spread - using the same means.
Hale has stripped the text in this charmer down to only phrases consisting of a preposition and the object of that preposition. For example, "below the ground", "into the daylight". On each page, the subject and verb are left out as it is the girl doing the action depicted in the illustration; the reader can see her doing it. Some two-page spreads have 2 prepositions depicted, others have one. Hale's collage illustrations show a city filled with a diverse population. Each illustration is finely textured, with shadowing and perspectives that give each a 3-D feel.
Fun to read aloud, this one goes quickly. Simply, stunning!
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3+ (include this in grammar units for older students studying prepositions).
On the first day of school, a young girl is escorted to school by her father. They retrace their steps home at the end of school day - in one two-page spread - using the same means.
Hale has stripped the text in this charmer down to only phrases consisting of a preposition and the object of that preposition. For example, "below the ground", "into the daylight". On each page, the subject and verb are left out as it is the girl doing the action depicted in the illustration; the reader can see her doing it. Some two-page spreads have 2 prepositions depicted, others have one. Hale's collage illustrations show a city filled with a diverse population. Each illustration is finely textured, with shadowing and perspectives that give each a 3-D feel.
Fun to read aloud, this one goes quickly. Simply, stunning!
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3+ (include this in grammar units for older students studying prepositions).
Read
November 24, 2020This charming picture book uses very simple text to present prepositions as a girl and her mother travel around their city home to school and back. The inventive cut-paper illustrations are really neat, providing interesting perspectives of city life (like showing a cutaway of the subway traveling underground and the city street above). Highly recommended for storytimes about city life or for teaching about prepositions with young children.
November 20, 2020
This is simple story that is great for early literacy, specifically print awareness and spatial language vocabulary. With large and easy to read text, only a few words per page, and simple but important vocabulary, I would highly recommend this book for storytime.
November 14, 2020
Prepositions!
June 29, 2021
reviewer #4 Simple text and pictures that give you so much to look at. A young girl travels to school, and then back home again, in a busy city using public transportation.
September 12, 2020
Out the Door, author illustrator/ Christy Hale. Holiday House, Neal Porter Book 2020.
The custom of going to school and the routine a child shares with their parent is examined in this delightful new book. The endpapers show a map of the city neighborhood, including their multifamily house and the specific route a parent and child use find their way to school.
The reader follows along on their journey ‘Out the door’, ‘Outside the station’ ‘Beyond the turnstile’, ‘Below the ground’ and ‘Amid the crowd’ in this busy city.
The collage images are outstanding, showing textures and patterns. The design of the book is well done in keeping the flow of the story, such as ‘up the stairs’ ‘into the daylight’. The details are charming and engaging. The directional and relational words are illustrated with care. My favorite page is ‘among friends’. This double page spread shows a variety of children with distinct personalities.
This book could be used as a geography lesson.
How do you get to your destination?
What are the prominent landmarks in your journey?
What words can you use to guide someone to a destination?
The trip home is done in a graphic novel format featuring many panels on a page. The reader not only witnesses the return home, but observes the family ritual of dinner, story, and bedtime to complete the cycle. Then it’s time to go ‘out the door’ again.
[Picture book, age 3-7]
Submitted by Karen Kosko
The custom of going to school and the routine a child shares with their parent is examined in this delightful new book. The endpapers show a map of the city neighborhood, including their multifamily house and the specific route a parent and child use find their way to school.
The reader follows along on their journey ‘Out the door’, ‘Outside the station’ ‘Beyond the turnstile’, ‘Below the ground’ and ‘Amid the crowd’ in this busy city.
The collage images are outstanding, showing textures and patterns. The design of the book is well done in keeping the flow of the story, such as ‘up the stairs’ ‘into the daylight’. The details are charming and engaging. The directional and relational words are illustrated with care. My favorite page is ‘among friends’. This double page spread shows a variety of children with distinct personalities.
This book could be used as a geography lesson.
How do you get to your destination?
What are the prominent landmarks in your journey?
What words can you use to guide someone to a destination?
The trip home is done in a graphic novel format featuring many panels on a page. The reader not only witnesses the return home, but observes the family ritual of dinner, story, and bedtime to complete the cycle. Then it’s time to go ‘out the door’ again.
[Picture book, age 3-7]
Submitted by Karen Kosko
November 8, 2021
Bright, lively collage illustrations follow a young brown skinned girl through her day. There are no sentences, just prepositional phrases which wouldn’t make much sense alone, but paired with the illustrations the reader gets a full sense of the girl’s family, neighborhood, school, and city. Endless details to study. Double spreads take her through her day, until it is time to leave school where a series of panels repeat the words but reverse the action as she leaves school and heads home. Diverse characters in a range of skin tones. PreK- gr 3+ (good for use with English language learners of all ages)
November 24, 2020
Christy Hale has written and illustrated a fantastic picture book that chronicles the tale of a little girl traveling to school and back again.
The text and collage art combine to effectively tell the story. The text is beautifully concise, while the illustrations are fun and engaging. Children will enjoy this story, and adults will be able to use it to discuss how children in different areas of the country and world travel to school and other destinations.
This is a lovely addition to a picture book collection.
The text and collage art combine to effectively tell the story. The text is beautifully concise, while the illustrations are fun and engaging. Children will enjoy this story, and adults will be able to use it to discuss how children in different areas of the country and world travel to school and other destinations.
This is a lovely addition to a picture book collection.
February 21, 2021
When I was in school we learned that a preposition was anything a mouse could do to a mole hill. Why? I don't know. I would much rather learn about prepositions from this book, with its bright colored illustrations and city vibe. The reader follows a young girl as she leaves her house ("out the door") and goes about her day in the City. Richly detailed illustrations and simple text (where the prepositions and other position words are all in caps to make them stand out. I didn't expect this to be a book to introduce young children to a concept, but there it is.
November 24, 2020
Love, love, love this book. A simple concept book which tells a warm story about "a day in the life of" a youngster...from leaving home in the morning, to traveling to school, to her school day, and return home.
Lovely illustrations for story time groups. Sparse text of well chosen words. Great job by author/illustrator Christy Hale. Not surprised it's another treat under Neal Porter Books label. Kudos
Lovely illustrations for story time groups. Sparse text of well chosen words. Great job by author/illustrator Christy Hale. Not surprised it's another treat under Neal Porter Books label. Kudos
January 1, 2021
More like 3.5 stars. Lovely illustrations with decent enough text. Great for discussing routines with children. I like that the ending shows how our days start one way, and often end in reverse order. Readers from rural and suburban areas may also use this as a discussion on how our routines are both different & similar depending upon where we live, and children growing up in cities may see their daily sights reflected here.
November 8, 2020
A young girl starts the day heading off to school, walking, riding a subway and eventually arriving at her destination. Each page illustrates a prepositional phrase. The final pages see her following her route in the opposite direction to get back home ... and starting out the door the next morning.
Nice book to connect with a curricular area.
Nice book to connect with a curricular area.
January 18, 2021
Simplicity itself, with a strong (and successful) visual reference to the illustration of Ezra Zack Keats. The story traces the journey a child takes with her mother from home, to the subway, to school and back. A vehicle for teaching words to the early reader while reassuring about the circular nature of the days.
April 30, 2021
Such a creative way to introduce prepositions to preschoolers! If only the publisher had devoted a few more pages to expand, not condense, the girl’s return to her brownstone and shown what happens inside her home when she walks IN the door, this story would have given a deeper look into urban family life. An Author’s Note about the challenges of urban education might have been helpful.
December 23, 2021
Clever book told entirely in prepositional phrases. Great way to introduce a lesson in English class! Students could write a whole book, just like this. Illustrations show a child on the way to school in Brooklyn, taking the subway to get there with her dad. Then, it shows her heading back home again. Cute!
March 8, 2022
FOLLOW along as one girl makes her way OUT the door and to school and back home.
A really cute book on ways to introduce children to directional instruction and words.
The simple but realistic illustrations provide a great visual aide. This would also be a great read aloud for storytime audiences.
A really cute book on ways to introduce children to directional instruction and words.
The simple but realistic illustrations provide a great visual aide. This would also be a great read aloud for storytime audiences.
April 21, 2022
This is a very simple book to teach prepositions in an engaging and effective way. Great illustrations and a simple story take you through all the prepositions as a part of a kids journey to school and back, but without seeming overly teach-y. My 4.5 year old really enjoyed it, especially the end where you say everything again all in revers, which we tried to do in a single breath. Worth a read!
March 7, 2023
It's a path from home to school and back again. It's a great peek at how one girl and her family maneuver around a large city. A lot of good place words in this simple story (amid, along, around, into, below, behind, etc). This could also transition well into a map activity or student retellings of how they get from A to B.
Reviewed from a library copy.
Reviewed from a library copy.
September 29, 2023
Here's one of those sweet picture books with a ton of visual interest and few words.
Here's one of those sweet picture books that aims to show young children how life WORKS.
We follow a girl, walking all by herself, full of life and resourcefulness; riding the subway on her own just fine; and then returning safely home.
Cleverly done. FIVE STARS of cleverness.
Here's one of those sweet picture books that aims to show young children how life WORKS.
We follow a girl, walking all by herself, full of life and resourcefulness; riding the subway on her own just fine; and then returning safely home.
Cleverly done. FIVE STARS of cleverness.
July 18, 2020
Really neat way to incorporate directional and relational words and concepts within the comforting familiarity of daily routine. Great diversity in illustrations. *I received a free e-ARC from Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.*
November 14, 2020
An engaging way to teach/highlight propositional phrases. I love the inclusion shown in the illusions and the message of the importance of education (look at the effort it takes to get to school and back!)
January 5, 2021
Neat concept for introducing directional words. Also cyclical, by playing the events backwards to get home after using them all to arrive at school. Great for: toddler storytime, back to school themes, city themes, directional themes.
Read
January 24, 2021Follow a girl and her mom on her journey to school and back-out the door, down the stoop, past the neighbors along the block...
A great way to look at the nuances of city life while also practicing prepositions and building vocabulary.
A great way to look at the nuances of city life while also practicing prepositions and building vocabulary.
June 25, 2021
This story uses phrases to tell the story and illustrations of the journey the little girl and her father take to get her to school each day and back home in a large city. Would be fun to have children recreate the story with just strips of paper with the phrases on them.
August 25, 2021
You need a lot of prepositions to get to school when you live in the big city! This would be a fun book to read at the beginning of the school year. Then you could ask the kids to write their own story of how they get to school to see how it is alike and/or different from the story in the book.
January 6, 2022
This book is made up almost entirely of sentences with fewer than 5 words each. Each sentence contains at least one direction word, accompanied by an illustration of said direction. Fabulous!
This book is amazing! We need more like it!
This book is amazing! We need more like it!
July 9, 2023
My toddler and I really enjoyed this story of a girl's day - getting up and travelling to school, enjoying the day at school, then returning home. Lots of prepositions to learn here! I liked the collage-like illustrations and the montage at the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews